Aliaskhab Kebekov

Aliaskhab Kebekov (1 January 1972-19 April 2015), also known as Ali Abu Mukhammad al-Dagestani, was the leader of the Caucasus Emirate from 18 March 2014 to 19 April 2015, succeeding Dokka Umarov.

Biography
Aliaskhab Kebekov was born on 1 January 1972 in the Sovetsky District of Dagestan RSFSR, Soviet Union (present-day Shamilsky District, Dagestan, Russia). During the Chechen Wars, he joined the Vilayat Dagestan unit of the Caucasus Emirate and was made the Qadi (judge) of the Caucasus Emirate by Emir Dokka Umarov, giving sharia rulings on the Caucasus Emirate's actions. In January 2014, after Umarov's death, he nominated Aslambek Vadalov as successor, as he had no military experience. However, Kebekov eventually acquiesced with other emirs' demands and became the new emir. He apologized to civilians that were harmed by the emirate and called on militants to stop the use of shahidkas in attacks, whether suicide or ambush. In three months in 2014, three major attacks were carried out against Russia.

On 19 April 2015, Kebekov was surrounded by Spetsnaz Russian special forces in a house in Buynaksk, and was killed with two other militants. His death came soon after at least six Caucasus Emirate commanders defected to the Islamic State, pledging allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.